


Playing With Fire

by SouthForWinter



Series: EC Week 2021 [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: EC Week 2021, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-20 16:14:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30007533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SouthForWinter/pseuds/SouthForWinter
Summary: For EC Week 2021. Day One: David as the Dark One
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Prince Charming | David Nolan
Series: EC Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2207400
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Playing With Fire

Granny’s was packed, and Regina had to push her way to the front to put in her order with an overly frazzled Ruby. She let out a large sigh as she turned around and leaned her back against the counter. Almost immediately her eyes settled on a newly arrived David and Snow. They were standing in front of a booth that had just been vacated, but neither had made a move to sit, and even from across the diner, Regina could sense the tension between them. There were low, but clearly heated words spoken between them and Snow shook her head, turning to look at the wall before plopping into the booth with more force than necessary. 

As if he sensed her gaze, David turned a sharp eye on her and she inhaled in surprise. There was fire in his eyes, but she couldn’t look away. Whatever was happening between him and Snow was likely the result of him being the new Dark One, and that meant it was her fault.

David hadn’t expressed any anger at her directly since the incident, something which had surprised her, but it seemed the time for niceties had passed. For a moment, she thought he was going to take a few angry strides toward her and let her have it, but Ruby interrupted with a question about her order and when she turned back around, David was sitting across from Snow, doing his best to burn a hole through the menu with his glare.

He didn’t look back up and as soon as Regina’s food was ready, she left the diner, feeling unsettled and ready to tuck herself back into her research.

* * *

The months seemed to both drag and go too quickly, at least from Regina’s perspective. She was endlessly looking for a way out for David; anything other than the only known option -- death. She refused to give up, but she was tired all of the time. She’d gone back to her normal mayoral duties when issues had continued to pile up, but she brought her studies to the office and every moment not signing permits and listening to complaints was spent researching. Her office was starting to resemble a disorganized bookstore specializing in the dark arts.

Regina jumped and nearly dropped the coffee she was holding when she entered this morning and noticed David’s shadowy figure lurking in the corner. “David! Emma’s been looking everywhere for you! She’s been worried sick.”

“Well you can tell her I’m alright - I just need some time on my own.”

“So you’re here...in my office?”

“I don’t want to face her right now.” There was a tense silence as he seemed to consider her for a moment. “Snow left me.”

Regina considered briefly not telling him she’d already heard, but she thought he’d appreciate honesty. “Emma told me.”

He nodded roughly, raising a hand to scrub the stubble on his chin. He’d adopted a five o’clock shadow in the last month, adding to the dark circles that had appeared around his eyes and defined his already sharp jawline. “They don’t understand how this feels -- the evil lingering constantly right below the surface. You do,” he finally said.

He still hadn’t moved to leave the shadow and Regina felt turning on the light now would be an interruption, but she  _ did _ take a fews steps forward to see him a little better. “What are you doing here, David?” she asked, not unkindly.

“I wanted to tell you I’m sorry. I didn’t make your path to redemption any easier with my judgment and cruelty, and I don’t think I ever really forgave you until now. I didn’t understand how it felt -- how hard it is to fight back or to overcome it, so...I’m sorry.”

“Thank you,” she told him sincerely, any other words failing her as she watched David. His surprisingly compassionate words played oddly against his menacing appearance. Still, he lingered, so she waited patiently.

“She says I’m dangerous and that she can’t trust me.”

“She’ll come around, she’s Snow White.” Endless chipper hope speeches played in her mind and she couldn’t reconcile the woman she knew with someone who would leave her husband at a time when he’d need her so much. She hadn’t believed Emma at first when she’d told her this morning, but Granny confirmed that he’d rented a room a few nights prior. 

“She won’t. We were having problems before all of this happened, which is probably why her kiss didn’t break the curse. This just sped up the timeline of our separation. She’s afraid of me. I’m not even allowed to be around my own son without supervision.”

Regina studied the way his jaw tensed in emotion, whether anger or grief...likely both. His words were all too familiar to her recent history with the Charming family, but she didn’t say it. Instead, she told him, “I haven’t given up.”

“I know. It’s funny...it seems you’re the only one who hasn’t. The only one who isn’t afraid of who I’ve become.”

“I can’t say I know what it feels like to become the Dark One, but as you said, I do understand what it feels like to battle darkness. More importantly, how hard it is to do alone. If you ever need someone to talk to…”

He was staring at her again, the way he had months ago that day at the diner. The way she’d caught him on several other occasions since then; with fire in his eyes. 

“I’d understand if you blamed me for--”

“No,” he said immediately. “It was my choice.”

She nodded, not entirely certain she believed him. If he didn’t blame her, why did he continue to seek her out in crowds and zero in with that intense gaze that caught her off guard every time? Before she had the chance to ask, he disappeared in a cloud of midnight blue smoke.

* * *

It was a while before Regina saw David again. It was late and she’d barely made it to Granny’s before they closed. Henry was staying the night with Emma and she didn’t have the energy to cook anything. Luckily, Granny had taken pity on her and stayed a few minutes late to finish making her meal. After handing her the to-go bag, Granny ushered her to the door before locking up and turning out the lights. 

Regina made it down the walkway, but hadn’t gone far on the sidewalk before she felt that familiar burning gaze on her again, and found David lurking near the driveway to the inn. 

“Is there a reason you’re out here doing your best vampire impression?” she asked as she drew closer.

“I was waiting for you.”

“I’ve been at my office all day -- you could have dropped by at any time, or called. No one’s seen you for weeks.”

He shrugged as she slowed her walk and came to a stop in front of him. “I was busy.”

“Being a recluse?”

“Doing some thinking.”

She felt her heart speed up when his eyes raked over her, that fire still burning in his eyes, but this time she understood its meaning. She struggled to get a full breath of air before she could ask, “About what?”

She held her ground as he took a step that closed the gap between them, bodies nearly touching as he studied her intently, eyes seeming to bore into her soul as he searched every part of her face.

“Are you only helping me because you feel responsible?” 

_ Was she? _ Regina took a moment to really think about the question. It felt as if David could see her thoughts.

“I don’t know,” she finally breathed. “That’s definitely a large part of it.” Her eyes were locked with his now and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to look away if she wanted. “Did you only save me because you were trying to save Emma?”

“I don’t know.”

“You pulled Emma out of the way, you could have let it take me.”

“That wouldn’t have been right.”

“It wasn’t right that this happened to you, either.”

He leaned in further, face bent low over hers, keeping their eye contact the entire time as his hands moved to grip her waist. Then, just as he had in her office, he disappeared.

* * *

Regina woke with a shiver. She realized the comforter was lying in a heap at the foot of the bed and the flat sheet was tangled around her waist. It was the middle of the night, but dreams of David had her fully awake, and she didn’t feel she’d be falling back asleep anytime soon. She needed a shower and food, and some rational thought while she was at it, she thought to herself, working her way out from under the sheet and grabbing her robe. 

It was a longer shower than she needed, but even after she was clean, she stood under the hot water, trying to gather her thoughts.  _ What happened? _ This was Charming, Snow’s insufferable prince, even if they were in the midst of divorce. She’d hated him until recently, had never given serious consideration to him beyond using him to toy with her former enemy. She shouldn’t be having these thoughts about him.

She groaned in frustration and turned off the water. After she was dry, she slipped her nightgown and robe back on and padded out to the kitchen, pulling her leftovers from the fridge.

His touch last night had brought all of those shared looks over the last several months into sharp focus, and she wasn’t sure how she could have missed it. She really  _ was _ off her game. Something in David’s newfound darkness had created an attraction between them. 

She didn’t want to dwell on the dreams she’d had of him, of his hands and mouth all over her. Even now she grimaced at the betrayal of her unconscious mind. 

Carrying her leftovers with her, Regina made her way to her home office. If she wasn’t going to get anymore sleep, she may as well get some work done.

* * *

Despite trying to avoid being alone with David for fear of what she -- or they -- might do, Regina continued her research over the next month and a half. She’d started to feel as if there was no solution, which is when she’d come up with arguably the stupidest plan she’d ever concocted in her life. It was dangerous, full of holes and had absolutely no guarantees. And of course, David had agreed to it. 

Snow let him spend a full afternoon with his son before they left. He’d told Emma, just in case it didn’t work, something he regretted when she insisted on coming with him. Even Henry refused to be left behind, which is how he found himself in the underworld; Regina, Henry, Emma and Hook along with him. Immediately, he’d felt the absence of the curse. It was hard to feel good in the underworld, but he felt lighter than he had in the many, many months of being the Dark One. 

The tables were turned and now it was  _ he _ who felt the need to work until he found a way out of here for Regina. She’d worked tirelessly to free him of the dagger and now it was his turn to make sure he found a way back for her, for Henry, his daughter, and yes, even the pirate. 

It had been a busy few days, Regina making it her personal mission to help every person move on to where they were meant to be while he tried to find them a way out. The loft he’d once shared with Snow was the only unoccupied place they’d been able to find, so they’d been staying there, much to his discomfort. 

They were going on day four in this hellscape and David was having trouble sleeping. Doing his best not to wake the others, he crept out of the apartment, closing the door silently behind him so he could get some air. He was surprised to find Regina already sitting on the bench outside.

She looked up at him briefly and then turned back to stare out into the orange-hued world as he took a seat next to her. “I find it so unsettling that it’s never night here. Always the same haze, neverending. I couldn’t imagine spending eternity here.”

“You won’t have to,” he told her firmly, and she looked over to meet his eyes. 

“I know,” she said quietly. 

They lapsed into silence for a minute. 

“We haven’t really had a chance to talk since we’ve been down here,” David finally said.

Though she already had a feeling, her nerves caused her to stall. “What would we have to talk about?” 

“I know we didn’t act on it, but there was definitely something between us.”

“You were the Dark One, I’m the reformed Evil Queen. There was something fascinating about it, something irresistible, but you’re cured.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” he argued, and when she looked over at him, she saw that same fire in him that had been there before. “Losing that part of me didn’t change how I feel,” he elaborated. “It may have intensified everything, but it didn’t create something that wasn’t already there.”

“You’re saying you’re still attracted to me?”

“After everything we’ve been through, even moreso.”

She chuckled darkly as he continued to watch her. “This is just an adrenaline rush from being stuck down here. You haven’t had a chance to really sit down and think about it.”

“I’ve had practically a whole year to think about it.”

“When you were the Dark One,” she pointed out.

“That didn’t change the fact that you were the only one who didn’t give up on me, and who wasn’t afraid. You’re the one who kept me grounded -- kept me from going truly evil.”

“ _ Me _ ?” She asked in disbelief.

“Regina, if I’d thought I had no one on my side, I would have given in. You were my rock. And I haven’t had a chance to say it yet, but thank you.”

She swallowed the urge to cover the vulnerable feeling that had washed over her and instead told him plainly, “You’re welcome.”

“When we get back, I’d like to take you to dinner as a proper thank you, if you’d be amenable?”

She stared at him. “Are you...are you asking me out?”

“I’m divorced now, you know.”

“You realize who you’re talking to right?”

“I think we’re up for it. We broke the curse of the Dark One, we’re definitely brave enough to do this.”

“We broke it by killing you!” she stressed. “And might I point out that we’re all still stuck in the Underworld. We haven’t really done  _ anything _ .”

“We’ll sort it out.”

“Are you always this cocky?” 

“Yes.”

“Well, then definitely not. I have no interest in any kind of affair with Prince Charming, it--”

“Regina,” he grinned, interrupting her.

“What?!” she bit, irritated that he’d cut her off.

“Can we just try one thing?” He asked, sliding right up next to her and leaning so close she could feel his breath, but he waited for her. “Before you keep trying to talk yourself out of it?” he questioned quietly.

“And if I’m right?” she whispered, gaze flicking down to his lips.

“Then I’ll leave you alone.” 

After pausing to see if she’d push him away, he moved in to kiss her and she met him halfway. Her thoughts were swimming as she met each hungry kiss with one of her own, trying to sort out what was happening, but it was too electric. She could feel it tingling in every nerve, making her heart race and her head spin. It was too much and not enough and when she had to take in air, she realized she’d moved to straddle him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he gripped her waist.

“What do you think, Regina?” he asked against her mouth. “Give it a go?”

“Mmm,” she hummed, “I’ll give it some thought.” 

  
  



End file.
